Hit-and-run develops into charge of murder

Norwich - A Lisbon man is facing murder charges in connection with what police are calling an intentional hit-and-run that led to a man's death last month.

Kevin Bialowas, 45, was arraigned Monday in Norwich Superior Court after police charged him with murder, evading responsibility and illegal operation of a motor vehicle.

Police said Bialowas ran over 33-year-old Steven A. Germano of Windham with his pickup truck on July 14 at the intersection of Elm Avenue and East Town Street.

Bialowas, who was recently paroled on numerous tax evasion charges, appeared briefly in court. He was ordered held on $1 million bond and his case was transferred to New London Superior Court for Aug. 24.

According to an arrest warrant, police interviewed a woman named Jennifer Sanford of Baltic, who had recently broken up with Germano. She told police she was in Bialowas' truck when he struck and killed Germano.

She said Germano was following them as they traveled from her home, that he called Bialowas' cell phone and she answered it. She said Germano wanted her to get out of the truck and get into his vehicle.

Sanford said she refused and Bialowas continued to drive south on Canterbury Turnpike in Norwich, where he lost control and struck a telephone pole, damaging the passenger side near the rear lights.

They were still driving in the truck when, she said, Germano pulled ahead and angled his truck in front of them.

She said Germano got out of the truck and yelled, "Come on," the warrant said. She said Bialowas backed up his truck and she thought he was going to get away from Germano.

"She said Bialowas put his truck back into drive and said, "(expletive) him," the warrant said. "She stated when Germano realized Bialowas was not going to stop, he jumped up and landed on the hood of the truck. She said Bialowas drove his truck around Germano's truck, and when he did this Germano fell to the pavement."

Sanford said she asked Bialowas to stop but he refused, the warrant said.

A witness to the incident told police that Bialowas' pickup truck ran over Germano.

Police talked to Bialowas the next day and he told them he knew nothing about the accident, the warrant said.

That same day Norwich police located Bialowas' 2003 Ford F-150 at a Bozrah business with damage consistent with a collision with a pedestrian and with a utility pole.

Germano was taken to The William W. Backus Hospital and died six days later. The medical examiner said he died of blunt force trauma to the head and ruled his death a homicide.